Keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in the Kingdom!
Herbert Armstrong and his followers have used a passage from the prophet Zechariah to "prove" that people will still be observing the Feast of Tabernacles after Christ returns. In that book, we read: "Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:16-19, ESV) Well, what about it? Does this passage prove that Christians should be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths?
This post will demonstrate that Armstrong and his followers have completely ignored the context of this passage of Scripture and have misapplied and misinterpreted it so that they can use it in the capacity of one of their "prooftexts" for their contention that Christians are still obligated to observe certain provisions of Torah. Hence, we will examine the context of this passage within the book of Zechariah, and in the broader context of other passages which deal with the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths. In other words, we will use the whole Bible approach to properly understand this passage and demonstrate that Armstrong completely misunderstood and misapplied the meaning and import of this prophecy.
First, we must look at this passage's context within the book of Zechariah. Thus, backing up a few verses from the passage in question, we read: "Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one." (Zechariah 14:1-9, ESV) Notice, that this is clearly referring to the return of Jesus Christ to this earth.
In the New Testament, we are informed that Christ and his apostles gathered on the Mount of Olives prior to his ascension to heaven. We read: "So when they had come together, they asked him, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.' Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away." (Acts 1:6-12, ESV) Thus, the two men in white robes confirmed Zechariah's prophecy of long ago - that someday Christ would return to the Mount of Olives to establish his kingdom over the entire earth.
This, of course, is also consistent with Christ's own statement that he came to this earth to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). Indeed, the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are literally chocked-full of references to Christ doing just that - fulfilling the Law and the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible. As we have mentioned many times here, Christ and his apostles used the Hebrew Bible to teach people about HIM - they were the ONLY Scriptures available to them at the time (the New Testament had NOT been written yet)! In the Gospel of John, we read that "Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'" (John 1:45, ESV) In the Gospel of Luke, we are informed that Christ told his disciples: "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.' Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Luke 24:44-47, ESV)
Likewise, the Apostle Paul wrote to the saints of Colossae: "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ." (Colossians 2:8-17, ESV) The NLT renders that last passage: "For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality." In other words, the Sabbaths, festivals, and new moons pointed to Christ.
Now, we know that in ancient times, the Feast of Temporary Dwellings/Tabernacles/Booths memorialized the time that the children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness - living in temporary shelters, and the ingathering of the fall harvest in the Promised Land. What does that have to do with Jesus of Nazareth and his ministry?
In the Gospel of John, we read: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, KJV) According to Blue Letter Bible, the Greek word translated here into English as "dwelt" literally means "to fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle"! Notice how this same passage appears in some of the other English translations of the Bible: "So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son." (NLT) "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (NIV) "And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth." (YLT, Young's Literal Translation) So, like the Jews of old, this Jew from Nazareth temporarily pitched his tent/booth among his people!
Likewise, in the epistle to the Hebrews, we read that Jesus was "for a little while" made lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9, ESV). Continuing, in that same passage, we read: "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." (Hebrews 2:14-18, ESV) Just like us, Jesus Christ tabernacled in the same flesh and blood, temporary dwelling, that each of us as humans currently inhabit!
Interestingly, the temporary nature of our current dwellings is a recurring theme in Scripture. Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth about the salvation that they had through Jesus Christ though it was currently contained in "jars of clay" (II Corinthians 4:7, ESV). A little later, in the same letter, he wrote: "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." (II Corinthians 5:1, NIV) In similar fashion, Peter wrote this about salvation through Jesus Christ: "Wherefore, I will not be careless always to remind you concerning these things, though, having known them, and having been established in the present truth, and I think right, so long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up in reminding [you], having known that soon is the laying aside of my tabernacle, even as also our Lord Jesus Christ did shew to me, and I will be diligent that also at every time ye have, after my outgoing, power to make to yourselves the remembrance of these things." (II Peter 1:12-15, YLT)
Alright, we've addressed the symbolism of the temporary dwelling, but what about the harvest aspect of this festival? Jesus equated his work in some of his parables to the harvest (see the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Weeds). In the Gospel of Matthew, we read: "And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" (Matthew 9:35-38, ESV) Over and over again, Christ portrayed himself as a crop farmer or shepherd of flocks who expected his work to bear fruit or produce a harvest. After all, Scripture even referred to Jesus as the first of the first fruits of the great harvest!
Hence, as we have demonstrated that this festival pointed to Jesus Christ, we are ready to return to the passage in question and give it another look. In the fourteenth chapter of Zechariah, we read: "In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. Any nation in the world that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will have no rain. If the people of Egypt refuse to attend the festival, the Lord will punish them with the same plague that he sends on the other nations who refuse to go. Egypt and the other nations will all be punished if they don’t go to celebrate the Festival of Shelters." (Zechariah 14:16-19, NLT) Notice, that I chose to use the New Living Translation of this passage, because I believe it better conveys the intent of the Hebrew verb "hagag" which indicates celebrating rather than simply keeping or observing a day or time. Moreover, this same Hebrew verb is used in the twenty-third chapter of Leviticus to describe THIS festival - that the Israelites were expected to celebrate it (the same terminology is not used of the other festivals listed there).
Thus, when we put all of this together, Zechariah is clearly predicting a time when the whole earth will celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ tabernacled in the flesh and inaugurated the great harvest which will then be in full swing! Notice again, the language which the prophet used in this passage: (they) "will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters." In other words, worshipping the king is considered an integral part of this particular celebration. Hence, we must conclude that Zechariah is referring to a celebration of Jesus Christ and what he has done for the whole earth, rather than a simple resurrection of the physical observance of one of the festivals of Torah! In short, this prediction is much more profound and meaningful than anything Herbert Armstrong or his followers ever imagined!
Posted by Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix
34 comments:
This strikes me as probable GCI propaganda. Not exactly a theological powerhouse. Just as dumb as the Herbites. Not sure why I should care who wins this debate.
The people who give us information are not our friends. They see us as targets to be used and played. They treat your mind as a toilet for the excrement that they dump.
I've often wondered about how a spirit being would find a temporary dwelling. Kind if mind boggling, that! Or why there would be priestly sacrifices when there was no longer any such thing as sin because everyone was now perfect. No problem with packing everyone into Jerusalem, because spirit beings can walk right through one another. Double or triple your fun because nobody sleeps any more, plus Jerusalem will be paved in gold and there is no night there. Come to think of it, fun is defined by human emotions.. Plus from what I read in the Bible, there is no mention of Harley Davidsons or rock n roll, so how the H could there be fun in the first place???
Lonnie quotes:
“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." (Luke 24:44-47, ESV).
Where is it written in the Scriptures that “the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead”?
In the Law of the Temple there are sacrificial regulations for the feast of seven days in the seventh month:
Ezekiel 45:25
Eze 45:25 In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the grain offering, and according to the oil. (AV, emended).
Eze 45:25a In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, in the feast, shall he do the like the seven days; (RV).
“Chapter 45 closes with a brief note on a third cultic event, a seven-day pilgrim feast (hag) on the fifteenth day of the seventh month” (Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 25-48, NICOT, p. 666).
“The Feast of Tabernacles began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month (Tishri) and lasted seven days (v. 25; cf. Lev 23:33-34; Num 29:12-38)...” (Ralph H. Alexander, Ezekiel, EBC, Vol. 6, p. 986)
1Ki 12:32aα1 And Jeroboam ordained a feast [hāg] in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast [hhg] that is in Judah,
Lev 23:39a Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast [hag] unto the LORD seven days:
Ex 23:16b and the feast [hag] of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. (AV).
Dt 16:13 “You shall keep the Feast [hag] of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. (ESV).
“... the old autumn festival in Israel, which is described, as already in 1 Kgs 8:2; 12:32, simply as “the feast” (hhg] and in Lev 23:39; Jud 21:19; Hos 9:5 as “the feast of Yahweh, maintains its significance. Ex 23:16; 34:22 refers to it by the name hg h’s[y]p (“the feast of ingathering [“feast the ingathering”]”). Dtn 16:13, 16; Lev 23:34 call it “feasts of booths” (hg hskwt [“feast the booths”])” (Walther Zimmerli, Ezekiel 2, Herm., p. 484).
The prince “shall do at the feast of tabernacles the same things that he was desired to do on the passover [i.e., feast of unleavened]. The prince should offer the same number of victims, of the same quality, and with the same ceremonies, as during the above seven days. The offerings were, sin-offerings, burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings” (Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible, Ezekiel, e-sword.net).
“Ezekiel again prescribes purification, whole burnt offerings, and grain offerings, along with oil libations, with the nāśî’ playing the leading role. The autumnal festivals prescribed in the Mosaic Torah are referred to as the Feast of Booths (Lev. 23:39-44; Deut. 16:13, 16) and the Feast of Ingathering (Exod. 23:16; 34:22), but Ezekiel makes no effort to identity these observances with his” (Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 25-48, NICOT, p. 666).
Lev 23:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
Lev 23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (AV).
“... this feast was in commemoration of the Jews dwelling in tabernacles in the wilderness” (John Gill's Exposition of the Bible, Ezekiel, e-sword.net).
“This observance provided a continual reminder of God’s gracious fulfillment of his promise to bring Israel securely and permanently into the Promised Land. Surely the Israelites will give praise and thanksgiving continually to God for this!” (Ralph H. Alexander, Ezekiel, EBC, Vol. 6, p. 986).
“However, the Law of the Temple does not mention the building of booths that in [the Mosaic] Torah represents the most characteristic features of this feast (Lev. 23:33-36)... Thus, while formally similar to the religious year Torah set forth, the liturgical calendar in the Law of the Temple is on fine points entirely different”” (Steven Tuell, Ezekiel, NIBC, p. 319).
Part 2
Isaiah 29:1 Woe to Ariel, Ariel, The city of the encampment of David! Add year to year, let festivals [haggîm] go round. (YLT).
“The “feast” is that of tabernacles, the feast par excellence of the year, concluding the yearly round of festivals (Isa 29:1)” (A. B. Davidson, Ezekiel, CBSC, e-sword.net).
1Ki 8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast [hāg] in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. (AV).
1Ki 8:65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
1Ki 8:66aα On the eighth day he sent the people away:
“To link this festival with ancient Canaanite autumnal celebrations, Solomon’s festivities (1 K. 8:2), or the fall event prescribed by Jeroboam in his aberrant cult (2 K. 12:32) is speculative” (Daniel I. Block, The Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 25-48, NICOT, fn., p. 666).
2Ch 7:8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast [hāg] seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.
2Ch 7:9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly [‘ăsāret]: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
2Ch 7:10a And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, (AV).
Lev 23:36 Seven days you shall present food gifts to YHWH. On the eight day, you shall observe a sacred occasion and present a food gift to YHWH. It is a solemn assembly [‘ăsāret]; you shall do no laborious work (Jacob Milgrom).
“The Chronicler appears to be elaborating on 1 Kgs 8:65 to clarify the precise sequence of events. The dedication festival lasted seven days, from the eighth to the fourteenth of the month, and was followed by the regular observance of the fourteenth month from the fifteenth to the twenty-second day of the month. The eighth day (7:9; cf. Lev 23:39) would be the final convocation on the twenty-second, followed by dismal on the twenty-third day of the month (7:10)” (Raymond B. Dillard, 2 Chronicles, WBC, p.58).
“The identical sacrifices for each of the seven days of the feast of Unleavened Bread balance the seven days of the Feast of Booths, which fall on days 15-21 of the seventh month, thereby dividing the calendar into two equal halves. However, the difference between the two halves should not be overlooked. The feast of Booths has no equivalence to pesah (the fourteenth of the seventh month)...” (Jacob Milgrom & Daniel I. Block, Ezekiel’s Hope, p.209).
Eze 45:24a And he shall prepare a grain offering of one ephah for each bull and one ephah for each ram, (NKJV).
“Ezekiel’s Torah prescribes for a burnt offering seven bullocks and seven rams daily, for a sin offering a he-goat daily, for a meat offering an ephah of flour with a hin of oil for each bullock and each ram daily; the Mosaic Torah, while retaining the he goat for a sin offering, required—for a burnt offering on the first day thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs, and so on, diminishing by one bullock each day, till the seventh, when seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs should be sacrificed; and for a meal offering three-tenths of an ephah of flour for every bullock, and two-tenths of an ephah for every ram, and one-tenth of an ephah for each lamb, according to the number of bullocks, rams, and lambs for each day. In addition, the Mosaic celebration concluded with a solemn assembly with special sacrifices on the eighth day (see Lev 23:34-36; Num 29:12-39), of which no mention is made in Ezekiel” (Thomas Whitelaw, Ezekiel, The Pulpit Commentary, e-sword.net).
Part 3
“There are similar problems with the provisions for Tabernacles (45:25), except that in this instance Num. 29:12-38 calls for much greater investment of livestock. The festival also last longer, ending as it does with a solemn assembly on the eighth day” (Joseph Blenkinsopp, Ezekiel, Int., p. 227).
Numbers has less livestock for Unleavened Bread and more for Tabernacles compared to Ezekiel. Instead of 70 bull burnt offerings for the Feast there will be 49 — 7 per day — as at Unleavened Bread; cp. Thomas Whitelaw above.
Eze 45:25 In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days, according to the purification offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the grain offering, and according to the oil. (AV, emended).
Lev 1:4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. (AV).
Lev 9:15b He took the he-goat for the people’s purification offering, and slaughtered it, and performed the purification rite with it as with the previous [purification offering] (Jacob Milgrom).
“Verse 25 rounds off 45:18-25 by establishing the Feast of Booths as the second of the liturgical year’s mirroring foci. The festival occurs in the fall, in the seventh month, right at ancient Israel’s alternate, autumnal “new year” (cf. Judaism’s Rosh Hashanah at the start of Tishri). Again, the copious atoning sacrifices of v. 25 signal a continuing stress on maintaining the temple’s purity and sanctify... Once more, the text leaves unspoken any additional Zadokite understandings of the theological meaning of the festival. Later, however, the Zadokite successors of Ezekiel showcased the Feast of Booths in Zech 14:16-19” (Stephen L. Cook, Ezekiel 38-48, AB, pp.241-42).
Zec 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. (AV).
“Zechariah 14 plays up the Feast of Booths’ traditional association with God’s royal enthronement over creation. Twice, the aim of the nations’ pilgrimage to Israel’s temple is declared to “worship the King, the LORD of hosts” (Zech 14:16, 17: cf. Ezek 1:26, 43:7). The feast is also linked to earth’s fertility (Zech 14:17; cf. Ezek 47:1-12)” (Stephen L. Cook, Ezekiel 38-48, AB, p. 242).
Eze 43:2a And, behold, the glory [kĕbôd] of the God [’ĕlōhĕ] of Israel [yiśrā’ēl] came from the way of the east:
Eze 43:4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.
Eze 43:7a And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell [šākan] in the midst [tāvek] of the children of Israel for ever, (AV).
“Extrapolating from this evidence, one can easily imagine the autumn feast of Ezek 45:25 as an annual celebration of the enthroned Presence. The kĕbôd ’ĕlōhĕ yiśrā’ēl has travelled up the sacred spine to hallow the temple and reoccupy “my throne” (43:7)” (Stephen L. Cook, Ezekiel 38-48, AB, p. 242).
Zec 2:11 And many nations [goyim] shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell [šākan] in the midst [tāvek] of thee, (AV).
“The one festival uniting all nations in worship is to be the feast of booths... In God's Kingdom the gentiles would be brought within that covenant when they came to worship in the Temple the King, the Lord of hosts...” (Joyce G. Baldwin, Haggai Zechariah Malachi, TOTC, p.206).
Part 4
Notes:
Eze 45:25b he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and for the oil.
Nu 28:24 In the same way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. (ESV).
“Same provisions ... seven days. Very similar Hebrew diction occurs in Num 28:24 (HS), suggesting Ezekiel lifted the diction directly from his primary source material” (Stephen L. Cook, Ezekiel 38-48, AB, p.238).
Eze 45:25 In the seventh, in the fifteenth day to the month, in the festival shall he do according to these things [kā’ēlleh], seven days, according to the sin [ka-hattā’t], according to the burnt-offering [kā-‘ōlâ]; and according to the gift [ka-mminâ] and according to the oil [ka-š-šāmen]. (SLT).
“The same ... the same. The repeated use of the preposition kĕ mirroring the initial kā’ēlleh and meaning “the same” is striking. BDB (453, sec. 1. C) discusses the use of the preposition kĕ to express mode or limitation, specifically “conformity” (as in Josh 6:15). The sacrifices at the midyear feast must directly conform to those at the New Year’s feast, mirroring them. Modern translations do not bring out the stress on mirroring, but the LXX does so well: “You shall do in like manner, just like the sin offerings and just like the whole burnt offerings and just like the gift offering [manaa] and just like the oil.” ” (Stephen L. Cook, Ezekiel 38-48, AB, pp.238-39).
“shall he do the like the seven days. The Nasi shall provide the same offerings on the seven days of Tabernacles as he was required to do for the seven days of Passover (verse 23). As stated on verse 22, these sacrifices were to be brought in addition to the usual festival offerings as special during the period of consecrating the Temple. No additional sacrifices were required for the eight day of Tabernacles, because the rites of dedication were completed on the seventh day (Metsudath David)” (Schlomo Fisch, Ezekiel, Soncino Books of the Bible, p. 317).
Eze 45:25a In the seventh, in the fifteenth day to the month, in the festival (SLT).
Zec 14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. (AV).
“If the Passover feast is still named and recognizable, the festival in the seventh month, which takes place at the time of the feast of Tabernacles, has lost all its original distinctiveness. It lacks any name or description, except for the fact that the prince is to provide the same sacrifices for it as at the Passover (45:25)... Both festivals ... come to share the same interest in atonement for sin, which is the recurrent themes of Ezekiel’s cult” (Iain M. Duguid, Ezekiel, NIVAC, pp. 518-19).
“But the following is still more important than the points of difference just mentioned: Ezekiel only mentions the two yearly feasts [haggîm] of seven days in the first and seventh months, and omits not only the Pentecost, or feast [hag] of weeks, but also the day of trumpets, on the first of the seventh month, and the day of atonement on the tenth; from which we must infer that the Israelites of the future would keep only the two first named of all the yearly feasts [? - there were only three feasts [haggîm] in the Mosaic Torah; and two in the Ezekielian Torah]. The correctness of this conclusion is placed beyond the reach of doubt by the fact that he practically transfers the feasts [mô‘ădîm] of the day of trumpets and of the day of atonement, which were preparatory to the feast [hag] of tabernacles, to the first month, by the appointment of special sin-offerings for the first and seventh days of that month (vv. 18-20), and of a sin-offering on the day of the paschal meal (v. 22). This essentially transforms the idea which lies at the foundation of the cycle of Mosaic feasts...” (C. F. Keil, Ezekiel, KD, Vol. 9, p. 429).
Various COG Tabernacles sites have been preaching sermons and lecturers and workshops on the multitude layers of Jesus Christ with Tabernacles for decades.
I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; I will again make you dwell in tents, as in the days of the appointed feast. Hosea 12:9 ESV
Anonymous 3/3 @ 10:03,
Jesus opened their minds to see him in the Hebrew Bible. Without having your mind so opened, the passages offered here will appear meaningless to you. Jesus also specifically offered that generation the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Jonah 1:17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 2:1-2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
Isaiah 53:3-5 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:7-8 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
Isaiah 53:10-11 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Hosea 6:1-3 Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.
Psalm 16:10-11 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
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I don't know who wrote this, but it's clear they don't understand much and are twisting the scriptures. We haven't yet seen the mountain split in two, nor have we seen Jesus Christ take the kingdoms of this earth. It's absurd to even think that this prophecy has been fulfilled; this is for the future. The context is simple: of course, it's about Jesus Christ; that's no mystery to anyone. But the Messianic movement tries, in some way, to make us believe that it has already happened, and if it hasn't, then Jesus Christ is just a simple man who came to earth to fulfill a prophecy. This article is very false, without argument, only for perverted minds without true knowledge. I'm not defending the Covenants of God, but this is what I see in the scriptures. Here, Herbert was right; it's irrefutable, and publishing this type of article only distorts this blog because, in reality, you have to be very ignorant to believe what the author of this article says.
Anonymous in multiple parts,
If Ezekiel's prophecies are to be understood literally and not figuratively, we are presented with some serious theological issues. Jesus Christ claimed to be the fulfillment of the sacrificial system. For example, in the book of Hebrews, the Temple is described and we read in chapter 9, verse 6 These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7 but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
What pure joy it will be to be at that great Feast of Tabernacles ! Human minds can only imagine through the glasss darkly. With Jesus the Good Sheperd!
Lonnie
This is another interesting and revealing post which actually touches on some points I was conveying to Scout on your previous posting, The Linchpin of Armstrongism. The question I have is, are the people of Zechariah 14, the profane masses depicted by "Egypt", keeping / celebrating the festival or not?
If so, is that contradicting Pauline theology?
You write that the FOT is (should be) a celebration of Jesus Christ. I wholeheartedly agree---for the Church, those who know Christ and are " in Christ". The punishments we see in Zechariah 14 for not coming to the festival tells me that, at this point in time, the heathen masses are still undergoing an elementary education. Their situation is not that much different than the children of Israel when they were departing Egypt. They have much to learn because they no nothing (forgive my double negative).
At Christ's coming, the nations are in a state of ignorance. The way of God is foolishness unto them. They are carnal, of the flesh, not subject to the law of God, neither can be. (1 Corinthians 2:14, Romans 8:7). The prophets tell us the world will undergo an elementary education under the discipline of Christ and the saints. I believe certain physical aspects of Torah will be involved in that discipline as indicated in Zechariah 14. The "schoolmaster" will bring them to Christ, which is its purpose.
"When THY judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will.LEARN righteousness", Isaiah 26:9.
When " the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord", the nations will learn the "fear of the Lord", Isaiah 11:9, 2.
They will be TAUGHT His ways, to walk in His paths, neither shall they LEARN war anymore, Isaiah 2:2-4.
Is this all really necessary? Yes, for " how shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in whom they have not heard?, Romans 10:14.
This is not a debate on whether the Church NOW must or should be keeping the feasts or celebrating the holydays. In this dispensation of God's selection of the ecclesia, the primacy of the individual is of primary importance, and it's up to the individual guided by the Holy Spirit to make that determination. For those who do choose to celebrate, the focus (as you implied) should be on Jesus Christ, the REAL THING, the unleavened bread of sincerely and truth, and not with legalistic obsessions like crackers, toasters, sweepers, etc.
It is God's will that all of mankind be saved, come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim.2:4, 2Peter 3:9. For Israel of old and the heathen masses of the messianic age, this physical disciplinary preparation will cultimates in their new covenant experience, when God writes His law upon their hearts and minds. Then shall they fully rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings!
Share with us your wisdom then rather than this shallow response. Tell of your gospel.
Yes and along with lots of other teachings that serve to undo scriptural revelations
Lonnie writes:
“If Ezekiel's prophecies are to be understood literally and not figuratively, we are presented with some serious theological issues.”
I see no “serious theological issues”; that is, they both go together - one does not need to dismiss one and retain the other.
Why do you give precedence for what the anonymous author of Hebrew says over the “SAITH THE LORD” legislation and promises in Jeremiah and Ezekiel?
Instead of the latter being defended against the former I suggest that it should be the other way around — the author of Hebrews needs to be understood in light of the new covenant legislation and promises for the Messianic Age.
(The LORD, in the dynamic sense, is Jesus Christ).
Jer 33:17 For thus SAITH THE LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
Jer 33:18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
Jer 33:20 Thus SAITH THE LORD; if ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
Jer 33:21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
Eze 43:18 And he said unto me, Son of man, thus SAITH THE LORD GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.
Eze 43:19 And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, SAITH THE LORD GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.
Eze 43:27 And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, SAITH THE LORD GOD.
Eze 44:9 Thus SAITH THE LORD GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
Eze 44:15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok ... they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, SAITH THE LORD GOD:
Eze 44:27 And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, SAITH THE LORD GOD.
Eze 45:15 And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, SAITH THE LORD GOD.
Eze 45:18 Thus SAITH THE LORD GOD; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary:
The author of Hebrews is dealing with ‘purging the conscience’ (Heb 9:14) while the LORD God is concerned with “purifying of the flesh” (Heb 9:13).
In his argument the author of Hebrews is also employing the Hebraic concept of “relative/rhetorical negation” — in the Hebrew idiom the primary is affirmed and the secondary denied in order to emphasize the primary. The idiom does not intend to deny the secondary but only to set it in a secondary place.
The “purifying of the flesh” is required when Jesus Christ ‘dwells’ in the Messianic Temple, while in heaven, just as it was required when Jesus ‘dwelt’ in the Mosaic Tabernacle and Solomonic Temple, while in heaven.
Hos 6:6a For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice;
Without the sacrifice of Jesus, God cannot grant sinners mercy.
"If the Bible teaches any truth, it is the primacy of the need for sacrifice in order to effect fellowship with God. Both the Old and New Testament stress this basic requirement" (Charles Lee Feinberg, The Prophecy of Ezekiel, p. 266).
The fun will be touring black holes to see what's on the other side. Or sauntering through the Boötes void.
And the fun will be visiting down into quarks & Higgs Bosons to see how small things get infinitely, 9:47.
It will also be fun to finally save kids like JonBenet Ramsey & Phoebe Jonchuck from fiends & lunatics.
The problem seems fairly obvious to me. If Christ's sacrifice makes the animal sacrifices obsolete, why would anyone ever resort to those shadows of the reality found in Christ? It sounds like we view Scripture from two very different perspectives. For Christians, I believe that the Hebrew Scriptures MUST be understood in the context of the Christ event - period.
Most modern scholars realize there were problems with the canonization and translation processes which led to our modern Bibles of today. Supposedly the book of Revelation just barely made it into the New Testament, and nobody knows if John of Patmos the Revelator was actually St. John the Apostle of Jesus Christ. But, it is what it is, and there are things we can't possibly know until the Rez.
Lonnie writes:
“If Christ's sacrifice makes the animal sacrifices obsolete”.
Eze 43:4 And the glory [kabod] of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.
Eze 43:7a And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever,
Christ’s sacrifice does not make animal sacrifices obsolete - the Christ event doesn’t change the need for animal sacrifices in a theocracy where Christ has a dwelling presence [kabod] in the Millennial Temple.
Jer 33:17 For thus SAITH THE LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
Jer 33:18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.
Jer 33:20 Thus SAITH THE LORD; if ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
Jer 33:21 Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
Are you saying that Christ’s above promises to the Davidics and Levites are obsolete because of the Christ event?
You also write:
“For Christians, I believe that the Hebrew Scriptures MUST be understood in the context of the Christ event - period”.
I also believe this - at least we can agree on something - but the OT and NT must harmonize.
Eze 46:24 Then said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house [the Levites] shall boil the sacrifice of the people.
While animals sacrifices are for the purifying of the flesh they are also for fellowship between God, the priests and the people -a three-way distribution of the flesh.
Apologies, only the priests and the people eat of the flesh. Jesus’ portion comprises:
Lev 3:3 And he shall offer of the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering a food gift unto the LORD; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards,
Lev 3:4 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away.
Lev 3:5 And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: a food gift, of a sweet savour unto the LORD
Of course! Why observe what the Messiah and His disciples did as a human / humans and practice what will be done by all someday? Surely that is a waste of time. Forget that it is a statute throughout the generations. Well, maybe for Israel, but not gentiles.
Gentiles make sure you stay away from any of those from Israel (hope you aren't of the descent of Israel and not know it as there are certainly those who found out they were such as Jews for instance) during these times as you might be seen by others as stuck in the law and you might learn something about the things commanded for Israel, the children of the promise. Forsake such action!
Look forward to the day when Lonnie will deluge you with more of his voluminous knowledge! Enjoy the Roman holidays, attend your same sex friends marriages, and spread the word! Love is all you need!
It is GCI propaganda and a blueprint for testing what they desire to do to a major COG group.
1.Destroy the Feast of Tabernacles and 2. have zero overseas visitors, 3. Bring in things that aren't allowed now.
4. And have it all about 'harvest festival' under the false accusation Jesus isn't taught now.
Whatever was good enough for Jesus should be good enough for Christians today. Why bash it over and over?
Can't the same event occur but have different meaning attached to it? The priesthood, temple, sacrifices given by Moses were not unique. Pagans had similar practices. In the millennium the FOT might be "New and Improved" but retaining the name.
When I get my cities, I'd like to add a little variety. One version would be to hold it at a marina, and have the temporary dwellings be boats and yachts. Kind of playing on the Jesus and crew as fishermen angle. To make sure nobody gets it confused with the Jewish palm frond thingie, we'll be calling it the Feast of Barnacles.
In the 'lennie, if we qualify, we'll be spirit beings. The Feast is 99% physical ritual. I believe it has been suggested that we'll simply be educating the mortals in the ways of "the truth"
Like fr'instance, you see a young couple drinking too much alcohol. You'll swoop down and say, "Yes! I can see why you think you should be doing that. When I was mortal, I did it myself on more than one occasion! But, here's what was intended by God when He created the Feast! And you will show them what you eventually learned. Or something like that.
I thought even most Armstrongites had finally admitted that the FOT was never intended "to picture the Kingdom." Oh well, Herbie did drum that stuff into peoples' brains - talk about repetition!
I find it highly amusing when folks accuse me of bashing or mocking their religion. After all, Armstrongites are the ones who are so fond of making fun of traditional Christianity and talking about so-called Christians and false churches. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
Try actually refuting the points made in these posts. At least multi-part commentator comes loaded with Scripture and scholarly quotes - I can't say the same for the majority of my critics.
But don't open up a bottle of Mr. Meredith's Drambuie for that young couple.
Sorry, that was me @ 3/5 @ 9:44
Evidence ?
12:15 instead of Barnacles, you can have yours at the Feast Of Barnabas (Collins).
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